12th Congress of the European Hematology ... - Haematologica

were incidentally diagnosed (52%). There were not significant differences
in age, presence of splenomegaly, presence of cytogenetic aberrations,
basophil count, blasts (%) in bone marrow (BM), ferritin and B12 vitamin
levels, transfusion requirements, and treatment strategies. All the results
and statistical analysis are showed. Conclusions. In our experience, characteristics
of patients with RARS-MT are nearer to that of myeloproliferative
disorders (an elevated proportion of JAK2 mutations, a higher leukocyte
count, BM megakaryocytic hyperplasia and increased fibrosis, a higher
LDH concentration), while RARS-nMT cases showed more myelodysplastic
features (none JAK2 mutation, a lower Hb level and a higher MCV,
a higher percentage of ringed sideroblasts). Although we did not find differences
in terms of survival, it seems that the number of platelets demanded
for RARS-MT (>600 ×10 9 /L) clearly separate two distinct disorders.
Table 1.
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EVALUATION OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR, FIBROBLAST GROWTH
FACTOR AND THROMBOPOIETIN SERUM LEVELS IN MYELOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASES
S. Misso, 1 L. Paesano, 2 M. D’Onofrio, 2 B. Feola, 1 C. Marotta, 1
G. Fratellanza, 3 E. D'Agostino, 3 A. Minerva1 1 Hospital S. Sebastiano and S. Anna, CASERTA; 2 Hospital S. Giovanni Bosco,
NAPLES; 3 University Federico II, NAPLES, Italy
Background. Nowadays, angiogenesis seems to be also involved, other
than in solid tumors, in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies,
including acute and chronic leukemias, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas,
Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma and chronic myeloproliferative diseases
(CMD). Moreover, in these last pathologies an increased bone marrow
angiogenesis seems to have important prognostic and therapeutic
implications. In fact, a number of growth factors are involved in clonal
hematopoietic expansion and their clinical significance in patients with
CMD must be carefully evaluated. Aims. The aim of this study was to
analyze some angiogenic factor levels in 80 patients suffering from CMD.
Moreover, a correlation with clinical and laboratory parameters of the
patients was investigated. Methods. Serum levels of Vascular Endothelial
Growth Factor (VEGF), basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (b-FGF) and
Thrombopoietin (TPO) were assayed, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assays, in 80 patients, with a median age of 56 years (range 29-65), nursed
in Caserta’s Hospital. 29 of them were affected by essential thrombocythemia
(ET), 15 by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), 19 by polycythemia
vera (PV) and 17 by primary myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia
(MMM). These patients were compared to 80 healthy sex-agematched
blood donors as control group (CG). Results. Serum VEGF levels
were significantly increased in patients (mean±SD = 478.25±125.22
pg/mL) respect to the CG (134.17±42.28 pg/mL, p